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Nhж`wiy
Nhж`wiy (IPA: nhː.ˈʃʌt.wiː; nh-shut-wee ), also referred to as Wilushan Lunar Druidism, is the native, uninfluenced religion of the Vuscovi people. Nhж`wiy is a religion instilled deeply within the society of all Wilushans, with its cultural and ideological legacy continually existing within the mindsets and practices of the majority of the Vuscovi people, placing highly the values of competence, egalitarianism and humanism whilst condemning needless violence, self-desire and other aspects that violate community and equality. Etymology An ancient Wilushan word, Nhж`ѡiy is a neuter word in poetic-form, written as Nhж`ѡѥ in Wilushan script. The two words that form the combined word "Nhж`ѡiy" are difficult to succinctly translate into English. Its official translation is simply "Wilushan Religion", however this translation is completely void of all original meaning. The first part of the word, Nhж, roughly translates to word "soul", but is viewed within the perspective of a "divine soul", the soul or "fabric" of the very stars and the universe itself, of which the collective consciousness of the human race and all other living creatures are an irrevocable part of. The second word, Wiy, is a poetic form of the word "Wy", which translates to "life" or "organisms". As it is presented poetically, the meaning of the word is heightened to give it strong feeling similar to that of the phrase "all life, family, culture and their many generations of ancestors together as one". Conclusively, the word Nhж`wiy can at the very least have a capsule translation of: "The fabric of the universe made up from the unified practices, culture and genetic descent of all living organisms". This word is is used in noun form, therefore there is a further assumed meaning implying it as "the teachings of" or "the way of". If Nhж`wiy were to be used as a verb, it would instead imply its definition as a current occurrence, translating instead to (in capsule form) "The fabric of the universe is made up from and perpetuated by the unified practices, culture and genetic descent of all living organisms". Traditional World-view Model Deities There exist several kinds of deities, associated supernatural forces and entities within the religion. The Three Gods atop the spiritual hierarchy are three native parent gods that are roughly equivalent in depicted power and deserved reverence as the Wolf or Stallion. They are: *'Xho`wiy' (/ˈxoʊ.wiː/; lit. Life god/goddess), the original mother of reality, matter, life and consciousness, responsible for birthing Velkhwiy. Her essence is associated with the feelings of love, passion and happiness. The blueness of the sky and the blue glint of the night is said to indicate her presence. She is believed to assume the form of the white moon when it is seen. *'Velkhwiy' (/ˈfɛl.kwiː/). An androgynous deity, formed from the essence of the land, it sacrifices its body to birth all matter; forming soils, plants, creatures, and in direct circumstance supernatural entities and even humanoid life itself. It is responsible for inadvertently birthing Nikhtush`waiy, and is believed to assume the form of the blue moon when it is seen. *'Nikhtush`waiy' (/nɪx.ˈtuːʃː.waɪ.iː/) Formed from the minds and emotions of humanity, his very essence and will is comprised from and directs the Wilushan civilisation and its prosperity and/or depravity, with the quality of life being directly proportional to how pleased the god is with his worshippers. Often depicted as a particularly cruel deity, his worship and cultural prevalence has frequently been used to justify religious terrorism. He is believed to assume the form of the red moon when it is seen. Depending on the sect of Wilushan religion, the three deities are either all entities of one another, or separate entities within their own right. The term Xho`iѵun is often used to represent this unified deity in the newer and more conservative religions, specifically by the Empyian Synthesist Church. Lesser Deities There are also a variety of lesser spiritual forces and entities, both real and in folklore. Cycle of Existence Reincarnation Nhж`wiy's model of the universe views every single living organism as existing on equal grounds of entitlement, all forming part of the "fabric" or biomass of life. It teaches that the aspect of life, consciousness and memory is a hereditary aspect that manifests itself in two things after the organism's death: Physical objects that the organism used most in their life (e.g. Pendants, portraits, books, musical instruments, weapons, and so fourth), and the genetic material of its children. Essentially, this means all life reincarnates after death as their own children, and even through other organisms. The life of an organism is divided up into four stages: Upbringing, Reproduction, Death and Rebirth. An organism's consciousness and ability of generating new thought and emotion is what defines its existence. Enactment of productivity and beneficial work towards kin, civilisation and fellow living creatures is the very meaning of life. The first phase of existence emphasises this. Children and young adults are constantly taught to seek knowledge, to learn, to develop skills, to succeed, and to help and benefit others. The second phase is the period of time where an organism begins the slow process of reincarnation, as their life force is reborn and distributed amongst its children. From a scientific perspective, this quite closely mirrors actual genetic descent, and somewhat accurately explains why personality, behavioural and visual traits of children (especially humans) are similar to their parents. This phase is hence defined by: finding love, reproducing and building a family - where a supposed quarter of a person's life force (often described as the dormant quarter) is passed on. After death, an organism's body becomes an empty vessel, as they transcend physical reality to enter the third phase of existence. With all useful genetic material and life force existing now as other life forms, the spirit of the deceased organism imprints itself upon everything it touched and was associated with, with the most life force manifesting in their most useful and/or favourite objects. The potency of a spirit's presence is heightened by a lesser number of objects, often meaning that wealthier followers of the religion should either donate portions of their assets to the less fortunate before death, or should simply invest in living a frugal existence, lest they risk living a weakly experienced afterlife. This teaching heightens the significance of preserving the memory of ancestors, teaching the unimportance of needless objects, and also provides value in sentimentalism. The fourth and final phase of an organism's life is the steps its children take towards achieving their first phase of existence. If a being does not have children, then its essence must still be dispersed. Ceremonies such as sky burials or cremation and dispersion into soil so that an organism can become food - and eventually genetic material - for other forms of life typically manage this. Often however, to promote maximum adherence to the spiritual cycle, many bearers of children still wish to be buried in this manner so that they can benefit as many life forms as possible. The spirit of the deceased is then attached to the physical world through their bound object, and lives a fulfilling eternity at rest. Often, a spirit may be called upon to help in times of strife through rituals and prayer, and can even be capable of summoning itself if it detects danger, however a spirit can only exist in the afterlife and physical world simultaneously if their memory is preserved by its descendants, lest it ceases existence and is lost to the stars forever. The reincarnation cycle is not only encouraged for an individual's satisfaction after death, but is taught as thing that must occur for the benefit of the entire community, for the cycle can only continue if fuelled by constant death, genetic dispersion and rebirth, much like a river that powers a watermill. Apocalypse Prophecy It is sincerely believed by the majority of Wilushan people and a sparse few Voovian fringe groups that if their religion is wiped out, the cycle of existence will end, and all meaningful life will be irrevocably lost with the death of the final generation of all living creatures. With Nhж`ѡiy forgotten, and all adherents of Nikhtush`waiy having disappeared, Nikhtush`waiy is prophesied to wreak havoc upon the life and lands in a psychotic, terrified panic, in fear of its own demise. In the maelstrom of destruction it inflicts, it will wound the body of Velkhwiy grievously, causing the two gods to battle one another. As their war escalates, a great... In the wake of this apocalypse, the lands, the seas, the dead and the mortally wounded bodies of the gods will burst into flames, burning fiercely until they become ash. The suns will extinguish, plunging the land into darkness, and all unfortunate enough to have lived through the end of reality will starve to death. Denominations Traditional Druidism Surviving in its purest form only on the very fringes of Vuscovi civilisation, the totality of the Wilushan people and a tiny minority of Voonisians still follow the old ways of the religion, free of both the teachings of The Stallion and The Wolf. Wolf Druidism Empyrian Synthesism Formally a denomination of the Church of The Stallion, the Empyrian branch of Stallion worship was indeed first founded upon the bedrock Nhж`wiy mythology and morality, and to this day, still incorporates a few of the mythological elements of Nhж`wiy, albeit in a rather ossified and distorted manner. Empyrian Synthesism views The Stallion as the living embodiment of the land, the sky and the goodwill of the people, and proclaims that the teachings of Him and his missionaries under the guidance of the Equinex are the correct and contemporary ideas to identify with. With the passing of centuries, the old ideas have all but slowly faded away. The concept of a universality of living organisms kept in perpetual rotation only by the productive and good deeds of Men has retreated to become basic and superficial values of generosity of kindness, as modern concepts of individualism and self-determination have grown to fill the gaps left behind, rendering both benefit of kin and the benefit of self to be held in equal regard. In time, even the perception of the land itself being a living, conscious entity deserved of respect and worked of its bounties only by fruitful and mutually beneficial relationships from god to organism has disappeared, displaced by an industrial image of Man defining the world for himself through the values of science and technology. Category:Religion